Run
by JustAFantasyGirl
Summary: Johanna Mason just shows up one day out of nowhere, with few answers, a lot of questions, more sarcasm than people skills and a shot to die for. So what is her story, and what does the diary written in some foreign language have to do with everything? But most of all what happens when the Scottish SAS level trained girl shows up in Florida for her biggest challenge yet, High School
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Safe

Safety. The word echoed in the girl's mind as she ran her finger along the old leather bound books. The thing they had bought her secrets with, the only thing they could give her that she had so desperately craved. And now she had it; there was nothing they could offer her now that she didn't have. Her life was hers, and that was all there was to it.

The bookshop was old, as were most of its contents. The leather bound books were often ignored by the younger generation and only truly appreciated by those much older than the girl. However, occasionally she would catch a glimpse of another member of her own generation among the dusty pages and smile a little at the fact she wasn't alone. For the first time she felt like someone else understood her strange ways.

Most people in the store had predictable types of stories: grandparents looking for something to read to consume their free time, mothers desperately trying to cling to children as they wreaked havoc pulling books off shelves only to discard them onto the floor, or the occasional teenager looking for something for either an English project or some new adventure to lose themselves in.

It was sort of magical- the only thing these people probably had in common was the books that brought them here, the only life adventures they would ever share together would be through characters that were never real to this world. It made the girl smile as she continued along the shelves, thinking about her plans for the rest of the day. It was a strange thing for her, for most of her life her days had been planned for her, either by her controlling father or by fate. For once she felt free to do as she pleased, and she found a sort of happiness in the thought.

But all good things must end. The girl continued to run her fingers along a line of books, crouching down to a lower level and pretending to thoroughly examine the spine of a golden colored book, while really examining the men that stood at the end of the aisle.

Something about them didn't fit. The way they seemed almost uninterested in the mysteries of the books put her on edge, the way their eyes skimmed over spine after spine like they weren't looking for a title or an author but for something else entirely. Years of training told her that they had found what they were looking for. The pair exchanged a few hushed whispers that were far less a secret to the girl than they would have hoped. She sighed as she thought about the layout of the bookstore and the surrounding streets. She had memorized maps of the town as soon as she had arrived, and she knew the layout of the bookstore due to the fact she had spent everyday here since her arrival, knowing that its location was central and public enough that surely no one would try anything there. Or so she'd hoped.

She gave up scanning the books to focus her attention on the problem of the two men and moved over to the next aisle, taking careful note of when the pair of men appeared, once again, at the opposite end of the aisle to her. Not as subtle as they used to be but she wasn't in the mood for games anymore. Only forty-five seconds- that was the delay time she would have if she left the store to get away from them. Could she make it down an alley? Even if she could, most of the alleys were long and she would be easily spotted along them.

Deciding leaving was her best hope she exited the shop calmly and began to mingle among the crowd flowing either direction in the street. She quickly pulled off her leather jacket and handed it to the homeless man she had noticed was always outside the Starbucks next to the bookstore. This left her in a white hoodie rather than a dark jacket that might give her a few more seconds before the pursuers realized it was her. She moved easily through the crowd, her small frame and determined walk made it easy to slalom between the ordinary citizens of the town. She couldn't look behind her: they'd be checking for anyone who was looking the wrong way. Their eyes would be more drawn to someone looking suspicious, so her best bet was to keep walking and checking in the mirrors of the cars that had parked along the side of the street.

Her walk quickened in pace as the crowds grew thinner. She knew she had to make it to Chaff; it was probably her best shot of getting out of there alive. Turning sharply down a long alleyway she broke into a sprint, focusing completely the other end of the alleyway. If she could make it-

Then the van appeared. Naturally there had to be a van. A man appeared around the side of the van and she realized she didn't have a choice anymore. She grabbed the pistols from her waist and fired the first few shots into the man, not taking any chances. She pivoted quickly and shot one of the approaching men easily before jumping behind a nearby Dumpster and waiting for the next.

"I know you're there, princess," he sneered. Sure the girl had been more difficult to find than most of the others he'd been sent to track down in the past, but that was his job. Simply to retrieve objects that had wandered astray and teach them a lesson or two. So what if one or two of them made it a challenge every now and again, now that he had her she wasn't escaping. Especially with his two team mates lying dead on the cold unforgiving ground.

The girl growled at him mentally before standing and quickly firing a shot that tore through the man's hand like it was merely air, causing the gun he had been holding seconds before to fly across the alley. He let out a scream like a wild animal and the girl considered killing him then, so as not to draw more attention to them.

"Listen closely. I know who sent you and I know why. In fact I know a hell of a lot more about him than he'd like to think, and I have no problem heading to the cops with it if that's what it'll take to get him to fuck the hell off. And I don't care how many more of you idiots he sends after me; I'll get rid of you all just like I did your companions. I'm giving you one chance to tell me exactly what he wants with me and I might consider letting you live. You have one chance. He's already taken everything I have so I have no problem taking down a few of his hopeless henchman if they have the idiocy to think they can take me on and live to tell the tale. Clear?" she spat at him, standing a few feet away and keeping the pistol pointed perfectly at his heart. At this range there was no chance she would miss.

"I'll tell you nothing," he hissed back. She shrugged and shot at his thigh, managing to get a direct hit. If she did decide to take mercy the leg would most likely have to be amputated. It had been shot in such a way that the blood was spurting out onto the cold concrete of the alleyway, indicating that the hit would become life threatening in a couple of minutes.

"I'm giving you a chance to get help, if you just cooperate. It's not too much to ask really is it?" she smiled evilly at him, knowing the action would only aggravate him more. An aggravated, dying man was far more likely to make stupid mistakes and that was something she wanted to encourage at all costs.

"I said no," he growled, meeting her calm gaze with his fierce one.

"Pity," the girl sighed and turned away looking like she would simply leave the man there.

He quickly scrambled to where his own pistol lay and aimed at the girls retreating figure.

Only she was far faster and the sound of the single shot echoed down the alley, bouncing off the walls leaving no doubt about the events that had just happened.

She had been safe for a week. They had promised her a lifetime and she should have known it was too good to be true. Should have known that whoever was chasing her wouldn't have just rolled over and let her be. Putting on a pair of gloves that she carried everywhere in her jeans' pockets she ducked down and rummaged in the men's jackets, searching for anything useful. She took the money from their wallets and a cell phone. She made sure to return the wallets exactly where she had found them. She crushed her own phone on the ground before throwing the remains in the surrounding Dumpsters.

She opened the back of the van, making sure that there was nothing overly suspicious in there. All she noticed was a large dog-crate that she assumed she would have been travelling in if the men had succeeded in their twisted task. "First class accommodation. Thanks, boys," she sighed before slamming the van shut and heading round to the drivers' side and jumping into the seat easily.

A black bag was situated in the passenger seat and she quickly emptied the contents onto the seat. Her hands grabbed the only British passport and opened it, unsurprised to find her own face staring back at her. She had always hated the way her photo looked, making her appear like some sort of criminal. The name next to it startled her slightly though.

"Johanna Mason," she read. "Thought they would have at least tried to give me a new name," she thought out loud. She examined the other three and found the pictures matched the men outside. There was also some extra cash and a few documents she decided were unimportant- most just seemed to be files about her.

Pulling out the cell phone she quickly dialed the number she had had memorized basically since she understood the concept of numbers.

"Chaff it's me," the girl greeted the man she thought of as an uncle. "Yeah, I'm on the corner of 78th Street, I'll head over to the other side of the town meet me there with my things," she demanded and he mumbled something unintelligible. "Look just be there," she snapped and hung up. She knew he'd be there. He wouldn't be happy but he'd be there.

She took one last look at the bodies on the ground, where their blood slowly decorating the dark cement. She could burn them, pack them in the back of the van and watch the fire dance over them. But it wouldn't explain the bullets in them and questions would be asked about who'd lit the bodies. It was more believable to leave them like this and let people assume they'd shot at each other.

Walking through the back streets, she started thinking through her next move. Obviously she had to leave; they knew she was here now. She obviously couldn't go to the idiots at witness protection, there was some sort of trail they'd managed to follow to find her and she wasn't known for making the same mistake twice.

Droplets of water began falling from above and splashed on her head. She sighed and pulled her hood up over her head; suddenly thankful she hadn't taken the witness protection program's words so seriously. If she had thought it would all be ok, she could have easily been heading off to some evil lair (which was probably somewhere off the coast of Mexico given how unoriginal the whole plan had been) in a dog crate, heading for her imminent death.

Eventually she stood at the edge of the river and looked over it, wondering how far she'd have to go before this would end. She needed somewhere to think about her next move before she carried it out. But at the moment the only place she could afford to be was out of here.

"Yo Johanna, you awake in there or what?" a familiar voice called from across the parking lot. Johanna turned and smiled at the familiar figure approaching her.

"What you got for me?" she asked, admiring the car across the otherwise abandoned parking lot. The sleek curves of the car were highlighted as the setting sun reflected off its edges. She could tell just by looking at it that it would purr as she glided along the freeways.

"Ferrari California. It's a bit flashy but it'll get you where you need to go then you can trade it for a good price," Chaff explained, dangling the keys in front of her.

She grabbed them quickly before he had a chance to snatch them away and try to strike some ridiculous deal with her.

"I don't know. It's pretty. Might be fun to keep it," she thought out loud, smirking slightly as Chaff shot her a frustrated look.

"Pretty doesn't blend in. You need to blend in if you want to survive. I thought that was the first thing your father taught you." Chaff crossed his arms over his chest, looking at the girl he'd known since her birth, thinking about how she'd never change.

"Look how well that one ended," she sighed, more to herself than Chaff. Missing her father was an odd thing; she used to long for the day she would escape from his paranoid, intensive ways, but now that he wasn't here, she wasn't really sure what she was meant to do.

"Not everyone's fate is the same," Chaff pointed out.

"So we should just do whatever we want and choose not to learn from the mistakes others make and be doomed to repeat wasted lives over and over?" she questioned rhetorically.

"You're both doing the same thing though. Running will get you nowhere," he sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with the girl. Once she'd made up her mind that was the end of it.

"But you've forgotten, my father ran from something and I'm running to something far more fortunate." The girl smirked before heading in the direction of the car.

"Your dinners on the seat," Chaff shouted after her. "Even psychos have to eat, you know," he muttered after her watching her figure retreating into the distance. She was headed to God only knew where, with a determination that would have even the devil running in the opposite direction.

**Author's Note: So this is kind of something I've been toying with for a while, and now (well technically don't have time for it but still) finally got round to. So at the moment there will be one update a week, which will probably become more regular after November. But yeah, reviews would mean the world to me, as this is something that I would one day love to try and turn into an original idea, so yeah pretty please? **

**-R**


	2. Chapter 2

Johanna AU (chapter Two)

The road blurred effortlessly as the car purred along the freeway, the wind curving naturally around its soft angles and allowing the speed that it was travelling at to seem even more graceful. The girl pushed her back against the cool leather in an attempt to get comfy. She had been travelling for the past ten hours, simply following the I-95S for the past two hours and the road seemed almost calming, with the miles of fields that meant she could see any hazard for miles around easily, but she wasn't calm.

She hated to admit it but the attempted ambush had taken her more by surprise than she'd expected. She had always known her parents mysterious past would catch up with them one day; it was always a matter of time. Her father had never divulged much information about his past, only that it was the reason he trained her and her now deceased siblings to the level that he had, she had learned quickly not to question him too deeply on the subject. Still the thought bugged her that the answers lay with him, and had he chosen to tell her she might be more prepared for what was happening.

The seat beside her was tainted with the only thing that might hold any answers, photographs. Not photographs she had any form of emotional connection to, except that they might help her work out this entire thing. The photographs were of a diary, she had decided it best to not steal it from the police back in Scotland seeing as it would probably have some form of tracking device in it, so instead had snuck in, taken a photo of every page and then fled quickly, leaving no evidence she had even set foot in the building.

The diary had to hold answers; there was nothing else left. It was why she had decided to grab it as she fled the burning remains of her family home. Everything else was invaluable without her family, everything else had already told its story. But this mysterious object that had appeared only moments before she had been attacked in her own family home and left for dead, the one thing she had ever seen that had caused her parents to truly panic and briefly mention their past; even if it was only a sentence of "They must know," before everything had exploded around them. And so the diary that made literally no sense, had to be the thing that held all the answers. It was written in a language Johanna recognized as being from one of the Scandinavian countries, but other than that she was lost with it. It would take time to decipher every page and time was something that was becoming more and more precious with each passing second because in all honesty she didn't know how long it would be until her attackers decided to try again.

She sighed and flicked the headlights onto full beam; enjoying the feeling of freedom that driving brought her. Her father never let her drive at speeds she wanted to, claiming that perfecting the maneuvers was more important than the speed that she could pull them off at. Of course being overly competitive with her older brother meant that that rule had quickly been abandoned and he had watched with angered eyes, as they would speed back into the narrow driveway of their family home.

What she wouldn't give to see her brother again. Both of them, and her sisters had been killed less than a month ago and even though she rarely let her emotions get in the way of her actions she found herself revving the car into a far faster than legal speed. The control she felt over the powerful machinery as she sped along the road almost made up for the events that had happened almost made her forget for a moment as she concentrated on her speed and power rather than her loss and sorrow. She would find them, the bastards who thought they could get away with it. She didn't know what her father had done but he sure as hell didn't deserve watching his family being slowly tortured before being brutally murdered in front of him. No one deserved that.

And yet she found herself considering doing exactly the same thing to them. It was what they deserved after all. But it wasn't an option, whoever "they" were they clearly had a lot of people at their disposal and she wasn't that skilled. It didn't mean she wouldn't make their deaths as slow and merciless as possible, just that she'd have to be clever about it and not let her personal feelings get in the way of getting the job done. After all, this was a job she needed to finish. They had to pay. And that was all there was to it.

She pulled over sharply into a Pepsi Bottling Ventures building and shut off the engine. She took a few moments to take in the surroundings, there appeared to be a few housing estates nearby but they wouldn't be problems, at worst she'd get a few rowdy teenagers looking for an interesting story, she'd promise to deliver. She assumed there would be cameras located nearer the building but she had parked as far away as possible from the prison-like building. She ran her hands through her now greasy hair, wishing that she had showered in the morning but then again she hadn't exactly planned running for her life into her day. Mistake number one she thought in her fathers' voice.

She snapped on the interior light and grabbed the folder of photographs. There were at least 100 prints, if not more. Clearly whoever had written the diary had wanted to keep an account of everything, to not forget a single detail. From that fact alone she would have guessed it was her fathers, but the handwriting didn't match, it was too messy, too rushed. Almost like the person writing it was afraid they would be caught. This was also amplified by the fact as she continued through the pages the writing grew smaller and more compressed, implying that they were desperately trying to get the details down before someone caught them writing them. Like they were learning something that they weren't meant to and had begun to uncover some great secret that they weren't meant to know. It didn't fit the description of her father. "Everything you know you know for a reason, everything you don't know, you should know for presently unknown events," Johanna whispered into the night, hoping that somewhere her father could hear her recite the words he had imprinted into them since they were born. He wanted to make sure they knew as much as possible, and that they understood why he had to make sure of that. Clearly he hadn't known something, and it had caused the destruction of everything he ever loved, she wouldn't make the same mistakes.

She ran a hand over the photos and wondered if she would have been just as well taking the diary. Surely there was no way to attach a tracker into a book without her realizing, the damage would be too obvious, tracking devices weren't exactly the most subtle things either. No she was better this way. Risks created problems and she had enough of those as it was. So the copies would have to do. But they weren't making anymore sense in the reflecting light of the car than they had done when she first looked at them in the actual diary.

Giving up she threw the pile back into the envelope and hid it under her seat, slowly gathering the facts she now knew in her head. Firstly someone somewhere was determined to wipe every last trace of the Mason family line off the face of the planet, and with her being a Mason, this was very bad news. Secondly, whoever it was was also most likely responsible for the death of her family. Thirdly, they had known her father and possibly mother in their mysterious past lives. And lastly, whoever it was would pay severely for the actions against her family, and it wouldn't be the last thing she'd do, because she would walk away from their corpses knowing that all was at balance in the world again.

**Author's Note: Heya! So chapter two is here, I know I said I'd try and do this once a week but it's getting hard :/ so a few things, firstly I need to say a MASSIVE thanks to A Fire In The Attic for beta-reading the first chapter of this fic, she was amazing and helped a lot in getting ideas straight! Secondly this fic is kinda my baby so reviews would be very much appreciated! And lastly, in the next chapter we will be meeting Finnick, in a slightly unusual way, well hopefully unusual I kinda found it fun to write! :) **

**-R**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The cool wind seeped through the cracks in the wooden hut, chilling the girl slightly as she lay on the hard bench with only a few towels to keep her warm. But she couldn't complain, she needed somewhere to stay the night and here seemed to be her best option. She'd arrived in Florida around an hour ago and after some crappy take out food had decided she had to find somewhere to crash for the night that wasn't her car. Unfortunately, assuming she had to get petrol the next day, she wouldn't have enough for a hotel room.

She had enough for a few more days and then she'd have to start getting money again, pickpocketing was probably her best bet and her father had made sure she would be prepared to do it. He had prepared her for just about everything, being poor, being rich, being catered for by royalty or surviving in the worst conditions imaginable. So really a few nights in a pool house followed by some pickpocketing wasn't a big ask from her.

She gripped the knife in her hand a little tighter as she heard someone moving around outside. She'd decided to leave the pistols in the car as it was a bad idea to use them in such a quiet neighborhood, gunshots would only attract unwanted attention.

She heard whomever it was jump into the pool; from the sounds of it they had dived in gracefully and begun swimming lengths. She listened closely for a while, waiting for any signs of alarm but nothing but the calming sound of the water lapping against the pool walls was to be heard. She relaxed slightly as the sound became more soothing and she felt her eyes dropping slightly. She refused to sleep just yet, not until she was sure it was safe and she was completely alone in the garden, but the day driving had exhausted her. Miles and miles of roads that all blurred together only broken up by small identical service stations.

She stood up silently as she heard the person leave the pool; she gripped the knife in her gloved hand. Her father had taught her to never handle weapons with bare hands, it left too many traces and to only have them when completely necessary. She couldn't actually kill whoever this was, there would be far too many questions, she just had to injure them enough that they wouldn't try coming after her, she could make it back to the car quickly, the fences between the gardens were high but if she picked up enough speed they'd be no problem.

The handle turned slowly and she shifted her weight, getting ready to run. The door opened quickly to reveal a tall man, with coppery hair and golden skin pulled tight over the muscles that shaped his body.

"What the-" was all he managed before Johanna lunged forward, stabbing the knife deep into his bicep before dodging around him and heading for the fence fast. "Fuck," he yelled angrily before sprinting after the girl. It didn't take him long to catch up, even after his evening swim, and he rugby tackled the girl easily knocking her off her feet. Unfortunately he misjudged the angle and the pair tumbled into the pool, hitting the water hard causing a shooting pain over the skin that slapped off the surface.

Johanna broke to the surface, starting to wade awkwardly to the edge of the pool. The boy swam easily, after pulling the knife from his arm, allowing the crimson of his blood to flow into the pool. He grabbed onto the intruder and forced her back against the pool wall, holding her hands at her side and standing on her feet, making sure she couldn't move.

The wet material of her shirt clung to Johanna's body and her hair was thrown all over the place around her head. Her breathing was steady unlike the boy, who was breathing heavily from a mixture of surprise and the exercise he thought he'd finished with just a few minutes before.

"Who the fuck are you?" he hissed through gritted teeth at the girl responsible for the almost unbearable pain in his arm. He would have let her go if she hadn't stabbed him in his throwing arm.

"Why the hell is it your business," she whispered back, her gaze staying strong as she looked into his deep green eyes.

"You just stabbed me, I think I have a right to a name," he growled.

"What so if I hit you in the nuts I'd have to give you my number?" she argued back, hating being trapped. She just needed him to weaken his grip a little, and then she could get out of here before he had the chance to ask any more stupid questions.

"Fine what the hell were you doing in my pool house?" he tried instead, too angry to really make sense and his arm was shooting pain from where the bitch had stabbed him.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because it's my pool house!"

"I don't see why that means I have to offer you an explanation."

"Because you trespassed!"

"And I was about to stop trespassing but then you held me here against my will, technically that's taking a hostage," she spoke calmly, even knowing her words were bullshit but she just needed to freak him out enough to escape without too much of a fight, especially since her only weapon had sunk to the bottom of the pool and there was no chance she could get it back.

"That's not how it works," he said gruffly, his eyes flitting with confusion.

"Really, cause I doubt you have that much experience in a court room. You willing to take the risk pretty boy?" she challenged, and feeling his grip loosen for a split second she shot her hands forwards and pushed him hard in the center of his chest, forcing him to float backwards and release her from his grasp. She quickly turned and jumped out of the pool sprinting for the fence only to be grabbed into the tightest bear hug she'd ever been in. She kicked the air rapidly as her arms were stuck hard at her sides and hoped to god he had weak legs.

"Finnick darling what are you doing?" a voice called from where she assumed the house was.

"Mummy's calling," Johanna hissed angrily, silently hoping he'd just let her leave.

"Finnick! Put down that girl!" an old woman scolded angrily from the other side of the pool.

"Granma call the police," Finnick ordered and Johanna froze.

"What is going on? What happened to your arm?" the woman asked, obviously starting to panic at the situation. Johanna needed to calm this, if they did call the police they'd know exactly who she was, she hadn't left her witness protection family any notice that she was leaving and they'd no doubt informed someone of her absence by now.

"He needs to clean out the wound, do you have any antiseptics? You'll need to get to the hospital as well to get it stitched up," Johanna answered calmly.

"Yeah I just fell," Finnick added, praying his gran wouldn't spot the knife still at the bottom of the pool. Johanna mentally slapped herself, what kind of idiot was he? No fall she had ever seen would cause a wound like that, he'd have been better just saying that she'd stabbed him.

"I'll go start the car," the woman said, hurrying off into the house again.

"Promise you won't run when I let you go?" Finnick whispered in her ear, he was so close to her that his breath tickled the skin covering her ears.

"Why? You have to let me go eventually, and it's far better for me to not be here," she disagreed.

"You stay long enough to explain and I'll let you go. No questions asked. You go now I'll call the police and tell them every detail they want to know," he threatened.

"You think threats will work on me?"

"Well charm doesn't seem to work on you so I figure I'll speak in a way that you understand."

"So if I stay you'll keep your mouth shut?"

"Yup, but if you go-"

"Yeah, yeah yeah I get the picture dumbass," she shushed him considering this. She could skip over the important details if she explained where she'd come from in the car. He'd need stiches in the hospital, which meant he'd need to be seen to in a private room for at least half an hour. That was twenty-nine more minutes than she'd need to get the hell away from him. She just had his darling gran to worry about but she could easily get away from her.

"We have a deal?" he asked, trying not to let on that his arm was now killing him and he was pretty sure the extra movements weren't helping the wound.

"I guess," she sighed.

**Author's Note: And as promise FINNICK IS HERE! Aren't you glad? :) I know I am! Sorry it has taken me so long to update this, I have been busy... well kinda... I have been napping A LOT but stil I hope Finnick and Johanna make up for me! Hopefully the next update won't be too long, I have to have it finished and proof read and then Bob's your uncle (or Steve... I always liked the name Steve) it shall be here! Anyways if you guys aren't already follow me on twitter Boydie93 where I am trying to post about when I am updating things/ when I finish chapters so you'll have a better idea when I'm going to update! Plus you can bug me on there and I'll get round to it quickly :) Let me know what you guys think and I shall try to get on the next chapter ASAP :) **

**-R**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The sun was just starting to dip behind the larger houses on the street as the car slowly pulled out of the driveway onto the quiet suburban road. Sure there was a few kids kicking balls around and a few parents arguing with children who were insisting on just five more minutes outside but to Johanna it was as safe as it was going to get for her.

"Gran I'm fine I promise," Finnick reassured the woman who was whispering to herself as she drove hurriedly down the roads. Johanna wondered for a moment exactly how long ago the woman had passed her test and if she could even still legally drive, then decided it was not her place to ask and so continued to look out of the windows, obtaining as much as she could from her surroundings.

"That's exactly what you said about your leg and look how well that one turned out!" she snapped back, gripping slightly tighter onto the steering wheel. Finnick sighed loudly beside her and Johanna couldn't help but wonder how the pair of them had ended up together, the panicky old lady and the laid-back teenager.

"That was one time. And it healed up fine in the end," he argued back, a pleading tone to his voice letting Johanna know he was uncomfortable or fed up with having this conversation. However it kept him from trying to ask her questions, so at the moment she held no objections to it.

"Fine? _Fine_? That's how you want to describe it? Those hooligans threw you onto the ground, broke your leg in three places and you think it's fine?" she practically shrieked, Johanna understood now why Finnick had wanted to avoid the conversation. Clearly his grandmother cared for him, and he didn't make that an easy task. It was obvious they would conflict over the matter.

"You broke your leg in three places?" Johanna asked feigning curiosity. If she kept the old lady in a panicked state there was no way she'd leave Finnick's side. Which meant that when darling Finnick went to get his stiches done and his old dear grandma wanted to be the one to hold his hand she could quietly make a get away.

"Yeah," Finnick mumbled at the same time his grandmother yelled, "He didn't break anything! Those idiots he calls friends broke it for him!"

"Oh come on gran you know that's not fair. You love them really. You were saying yourself just the other day how Cato's growing up to be a lovely young gentleman," Finnick protested. Johanna tried not to laugh at how ridiculous the word gentleman sounded in his accent. For some reason it just didn't seem to sit right on his tongue.

"And is Cato one of the ones responsible for your broken leg?" Johanna smirked and Finnick shot her his best death glare. It didn't scare her in the least; he looked more like a puppy getting told off for shredding the newspaper than any form of real threat. It only made her smirk grow.

"Yes wasn't he Finnick!" either way his grandmother seemed to approve of Johanna's concern. It had to be the first time anyone's relatives had approved of her company. Usually they just feared her quietly, but she had to admit that using the woman to wind up Finnick was proving a most amusing thing to do.

"Yes he was, I'm sure you'd just love Cato though," now he smirked like he knew something she didn't. Of course she couldn't smirk back; she didn't know this Cato.

"I have some friends whose company I'm sure you'd enjoy just as much as mines," Johanna quirked back, imagining him and Chaff trying to sit down for a quiet drink somewhere. The two tried to stare each other down, neither one really knowing why they felt threatened by the other.

"Where is your accent from dear, it's nothing I've heard before," the woman asked, oblivious to the challenge lingering between her grandson and the girl she assumed was his latest bit of fun. Much as she loved her grandson she did often wish he'd just choose one, the gossip in town was hard to hear sometimes and she never had the heart to question him about it.

"Ireland," Johanna lied, knowing that if it was nothing she'd heard before she wouldn't be able to correct her. Anyway a lot of people got the Scottish and Irish accents confused if they didn't know any better.

"Oh you've come a fair way," she continued, clearly digging for information Johanna wasn't willing to part with.

"I could have gone further," she pointed out, refusing to answer the unasked question the lady had implied.

"So why didn't you," Finnick muttered from the front seat.

"Because then I wouldn't have the joy of seeing you," Johanna smiled, a wicked glint evident in her eyes despite the chirpy tone in her voice. Finnick looked like he was ready to throw her out the car at the next red light, actually maybe before then if he could get away with it.

"So how do you two know each other then?" the woman asked. Crap. Johanna searched her brain for any logical reason for her and the woman's grandson to be together and yet only the worst form of thoughts entered her mind. Those thoughts and the truth and none of them seemed like a good idea.

"I met her at Starbucks and she asked if there was any hotels in town. I recommended a few and we got chatting so I offered her the spare room," Finnick replied smoothly, like he'd told the lie a hundred times before. There was a part of Johanna that didn't doubt he had.

"Oh well that was lovely of you Finnick but I do wish you'd tell me these things before I have to drive you to hospital," his grandmother didn't sound surprised by the story. Johanna found herself wondering if Finnick made a habit of inviting strange girls he met in coffee shops back to his house. What a stupid question of course he did, it was the only way his grandmother wouldn't have panicked that she was some form of serial killer.

"Finnick, you said you'd asked your grandma and that she'd OKed the whole thing!" Johanna scolded from the backseat. "I am terribly sorry Mrs.…." Johanna paused as she realized she had no clue as to the family's last name. Either way she'd be calling Chaff to check up on them later.

"Oh just call me Mags dear everyone does. And what may I ask is your name?"

"Johanna," Johanna replied without thinking, then took a moment to stop herself from whacking her head off the window. How was she so attached to these people that she didn't mind just handing over information? She wouldn't even tell Chaff her name if she thought she could have gotten away with it. Maybe because Chaff was a threat if he wanted to be and these people were about as threatening as bumblebees, sure they had a sting in them but they'd die if they tried to use it with her.

"Lovely to meet you dear," Mags answered, Johanna noted there seemed to be a note of genuine pleasure in her voice.

"You too Mags," she replied, noticing the sign that read "Baptist Hospital" drew closer.

"Alright you two run on in and I'll just park the car," Mags instructed as she pulled to a stop by the hospital entrance. Johanna made to open the door just as Mags yelled, "And don't put up with any of his cheek!"

Finnick slammed the door and turned to glare at the girl who looked like she would be ready to stab him again without a second thought. "Since when did people who stab other people give a crap if they've broken their legs in three places?" he demanded, grabbing onto her hand and storming in the direction of reception.

"Just trying to gather information about your weak points. So did they mention _exactly _where the bones broke? You know, just for extra target practice," Johanna snapped back. Forced pleasantries in the car was one thing, but she refused to let him even attempt to make her a lady in any other situation.

"Do I want to know what regular target practice involves? Or even why your target practice can be considered regularly?" he questioned in a way that made Johanna think he actually did want to know what regular target practice involved.

"You know, pistols mostly but knives are a little enticing. Then again I was never one to pass up the opportunity of axe hacking," she teased, shooting him a look that dared him to question her again.

"For some reason that really doesn't surprise me," he muttered.

"Really the girl who stabbed you being experienced in weapons isn't a big surprise?" she hissed and he tightened his hand around hers. It was warm and sweaty and made Johanna uncomfortable, mainly because it was tight and she knew running at this point was not going to be a possibility. Should've hit his leg, she thought pointlessly to herself.

The pair approached the desk and the young female receptionist allowed her eyes to wander over Finnick as Johanna's nearly rolled back into her skull.

"How can I be of service today?" she asked, batting her eyelashes just a little too much.

"Bring me a sick bucket," Johanna muttered. "I stabbed him, his arms bleeding a lot. He needs stiches so if you'd kindly stop ogling over him and do your job I feel this situation will be far merrier," she snapped, losing patience. She was not going to be stuck with Finnick because some stupid freshly qualified, or maybe even still in university, nurse decided she liked the look of Finnick.

"Perhaps if you hadn't stabbed him he wouldn't be here for me to ogle over," the nurse replied in that irritating chirpy way that Johanna found insufferable. She could handle people trying to kill her, hell she didn't even care if they took joy in it, just so long as they didn't play nice with her she was all good. This on the other hand was another thing.

"He implied that all nurses were just too stupid to become doctors, I said that wasn't true and he disagreed once again so I stabbed him so we could come and find out. I guess you win sweetheart," Johanna smiled up at Finnick and enjoyed the fact the nurse took that as her queue to storm off in an angered huff.

"Sweetheart?" Finnick met looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and a half smile.

"I figured if I was going to make up bullshit I might as well go all the way with it," she shrugged and turned to head in the direction of the seating area, Finnick obediently following her but not releasing her hand or even loosening the grip.

"You mean you don't think I'm a sweetheart?" he asked, mock hurt seeping into his voice and right under Johanna's skin. This was not part of the plan. There was too many people, too many faces for her to scan and history's to try and place. This wasn't right. She shouldn't be here. She should be sleeping dreaming merrily of how to get revenge on as many henchmen as possible.

"You mean the guy who held me hostage?"

"I'm sure that isn't the legal definition of hostage taking."

"You want to go check and I'll wait right here?"

"How dumb do you think I am?"

"Dumb enough to get stabbed in the arm and then drag the person that stabbed you into a place filled with scalpels and syringes and other fun sharp stuff that could damage you?"

Finnick's brow furrowed at Johanna's comment as if he was actually considering letting her go for fear she could do more damage with a syringe full of God only knows what. "Stop doing that," Finnick tried to demand, but the confusion that laced his voice made Johanna smile wickedly under the fluorescent lighting.

"Stop doing what?" she widened her eyes innocently and Finnick couldn't help but think that if he had met her in a coffee house looking for somewhere to stay how easy it would be to believe that those eyes could never harm anyone. Could never hold as many secrets as this girl seemed to.

"Stop making me doubt everything I say," he spoke more firmly this time.

"Maybe if you had more faith in the words you were saying it wouldn't be so easy for me to make you doubt them," she suggested, focusing on a man on the other side of the room who didn't appear to have anything wrong with him. She dismissed him quickly as she saw him pull a small glucose monitor out of his pocket and look at it in a panicked way.

"Maybe if you didn't scare me so much I wouldn't doubt my words so much."

"Maybe if you were braver a girl half your size wouldn't scare you."

"It's not your size that scares me."

"Well then you underestimate yourself."

"To be fair you did stab me."

"I took you off guard, your mistake was not being prepared. Which you've learned from since you're watching every move I make now. Plus I you're clearly much stronger than me and even if you weren't you're faster so it wouldn't make much difference," Johanna thought aloud, more for the boys ego than anything. When she left she didn't want a guilty conscious following her for any reason.

"But you're clever, and that's scarier than any strength or speed I can have," he replied; now actually trying to compliment the girl who had stabbed him. He figured that complimenting her obviously stunning looks wouldn't affect her much; she clearly prided herself on other things.

She only exhaled a little louder than usual. He hoped it wasn't her laugh, he imagined her with a beautiful laugh; a sound that was as much a reward as it was a challenge. "Clearly you're not the smartest in your school," she guessed, although it wasn't really a guess, she had no time for guessing.

"That obvious huh?"

"Not as obvious as you'd think, people tend to admire qualities in others that they don't possess themselves," she pointed out.

"So you admire strength and speed in others because you feel like you don't have them?"

"No I have them. Just in a more controlled way than you do."

"How do you mean?"

"As in you might be able to pin me against a wall but you don't know how to control the strength you have, whereas I know how to harness the strength I have and know the opportune moment to use it. Meaning I can escape."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"In the slight hope your grip would loosen," Johanna answered and smirked as his grip predictably tightened around her hand. She had honestly given up the hope it would happen after the second question, if he hadn't loosened it then it meant that he was focusing energy on the act and his answers had been so unspecific that she knew that energy hadn't faltered. Whatever the boy wanted he wanted badly.

"The doctor will see you now," the nurse from before appeared, not quite as happy to see the couple as she had been before. She turned sharply and her sneakers squeaked loudly on the plastic floor as she made her way back round the cluttered desk. Johanna smirked evilly and Finnick found himself wondering further about the girl next to him.

"Want to wait for your gran?" Johanna asked instead, only her tone conveying that she actually cared about the answer as her eyes continued to flick between those entering and leaving the small too crowded for her liking waiting room.

"Nah, she'll be fine. Mags is good at looking after herself," the boy replied standing and beginning to head down one of the corridors.

"You know where you're going?" Johanna asked, already trying to memorize the many corridors they were twisting down.

"Nope," he replied chirpily.

"Then where the hell are we going?" Johanna practically screeched, temporarily loosing focus as they swerved down another identical corridor.

"Getting lost," Finnick shrugged and then winced at the pain that shot into his arm. Johanna smiled a little at the motion, the boy might like to believe he was winning but she would always have the upper hand. It was how life worked.

"Good job genius, you're the one in risk of loosing feeling in your arm and you're worried about me running off," Johanna rolled her eyes as yet another group of nurses sent her evil glares. Sheesh sure Finnick was good looking but enough to hate someone he was still technically trapping against her will.

"Mr. Odair!" a doctor's voice boomed down the corridor. Johanna and Finnick spun different directions and wound up crashing into each other causing Finnick to momentarily release his grip on Johanna. She didn't miss a beat as she began her sprint back down the grey corridors, not looking back to where the shouts from Finnick were originating. She weaved between the throngs of people moving slowly towards appointments and other trivial goings on. No it had already been too long. She had to get away. She couldn't get attached, and that was all there was to it.

**Author's Note: So what do you guys think of Johanna and Finnick? Also I apologize for taking so long to update this story! Christmas kind of got on top of me but I do hope you're still enjoying Johanna and her ways :)**

**-R**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Johanna's feet pounded off of the squeaky floors as she made her way down the corridors, hoping she was heading the right way. Even if she wasn't there was little chance Finnick would find her now, he had said himself that he had no idea where he was going which gave her a slight advantage. If she could just make it to-

"Wow sorry there," the six-foot tall thing she had just crashed into apologized.

"Gale grab her!" an all too familiar voice called before a hand reached down and pulled her up.

"Do you know him?" he asked, his breath tickling along the side of her ear sending a strange warmth through her.

"Never seen him before in my life," Johanna lied.

"Really Finnick chasing girls through hospitals? That's low even for you," the voice greeted Finnick. Of course, she just had to run into someone known to Finnick. Life just couldn't be simple.

"She stabbed me!" he retorted, causing Johanna to smirk. She felt "Gale's" grip on her tighten as he worried for a moment that she had caused his friend serious damage. Perfect.

"At least you'll have a scar out of it," he tried, sounding more like he was attempting to calm his friend down than to defend the girl.

"You wanna be scar sisters I can give you a matching one," Johanna piped up, a slightly more threatening look in her eyes now she realized people were staring. If people were staring she didn't know which of the people staring to worry about. Her mind was ahead of her as she looked for gaps in the crowd.

"Jesus you know how to pick them," the Gale person sighed, his eyes meeting the girls for the first time. The two shades of deep brown looked into each other, almost like they were both searching for some kind of hidden answer.

"Let's not start that now," Finnick snapped. Johanna knew she shouldn't be curious, but she was. They were just so normal, it was completely foreign to her, and she wanted to see what they were like. Because in her mind, getting stabbed in the arm didn't seem like that big of a deal. Probably because she could stitch it up herself. Not that she had revealed the skill earlier. It would have made a trip to the hospital pointless and ruined any plan to escape. Not that her plan was going much better at the moment.

"Right, why not start it after you've let me go?" Johanna chirped, still smiling evilly as she scanned the faces of people who were now staring at them.

"Mr. Odair if you would please follow me!" A slightly out of breath doctor demanded, looking like he was ready to lose every ounce of calm she was sure he'd spent years developing.

"Keep an eye on her," Finnick instructed Gale, before turning and heading back down the corridor. Johanna turned to this Gale being and looked him up and down. He was tall, with broad shoulders and the arms to match his muscular frame. She sighed as she realized he was probably just as fast as Finnick, if not maybe a little faster due to his slightly less bulky build.

"Guess you're stuck with me," Gale tried to look like he felt for the girl, but she could see the curiosity and slight entertainment in his eyes and in the way he was still smiling at her.

"You won't last," she commented, looking into his eyes and grinning as she felt him tense next to her. At least she could still unsettle the larger boy.

"You'd be surprised," he answered darkly, his eyes clouding over with darker secrets, which only increased the curiosity Johanna felt. She wanted to know his story; in the same way she'd wanted to know Finnick's. They probably wouldn't be too hard to work out; she doubted they'd ever had to keep any real secrets. But she didn't have time for that, she had bigger secrets to make sense of, more important things to worry about. So why couldn't she stop thinking about the callouses that she could feel on Gales hand as he gripped her arm in it?

"Can I sit while you surprise me? Or do you want me to be standing when I faint dramatically so you can catch me?" she asked, turning and walking off, shaking out of his hand.

"Where exactly are you going?" he asked after her. She turned slightly, looking over shoulder at him.

"Waiting room, I'm not being in the way when they cardiac arrest team comes rushing through here bowling people over," she explained casually before continuing down the corridor, giving up on running. She knew how to get to her car but Gale would alert the police that some girl who had stabbed his friend had escaped from the local hospital and then she'd be easy to track. Too easy for her liking.

He stepped quickly after her, not really sure what he was meant to do. It wasn't unusual for him to bump into Finnick with a girl he didn't recognize; usually there was a brief introduction and then that was it. They would never be seen again, maybe at a push high-fived over if Cato had seen them but that was about it. Something told Gale that this girl was going to be an exception.

He was surprised that she did stay true to her word and found her turning back into the waiting room. She seemed oddly out of place there, so calm and controlled around people fidgeting with themselves or anything that came to hand but at the same time she blended in, she seemed to camouflage into the room so as to become nothing special.

He sat across from her and watched her as she watched him. He knew she was sizing him up, he'd seen the look enough time in sports, but he couldn't decide what she was sizing him up for exactly. She definitely wasn't doing it casually; there was a certain determination in her eyes that he'd only seen a few times before. It unsettled him slightly and he shifted in his seat subconsciously making her grin wickedly.

"What?" he questioned uncomfortably, feeling like if he could get her to talk then maybe it would ease her up slightly.

"Nothing," she turned and looked around the rest of the occupants of the room, he couldn't help but wonder if she did this everywhere she went, and if she did, then why?

"You lost something?" he asked, as she was examining a woman with a twitchy leg.

"My knife, need to get it back from your friend," she answered; he had a sinking feeling that she wasn't joking.

"You're being serious aren't you?"

"No I am simply a light-hearted joker," she rolled her eyes at him thinking about how she wished she could just leave this place. But not yet, it would be over soon she told herself. Gale just needed to know he wasn't releasing some crazy killer into the world and Finnick just wanted an explanation and then she was free to disappear from their lives. She'd be no more than an interesting story they'd mention in passing when asked what they got up to over the weekend.

"So what is your story?" he asked, unable to stop himself. Something about her made him want to know everything, made him want to know her deepest darkest secrets.

"One that isn't worth telling," she replied meeting his gaze and silently challenging him to question her further.

"I doubt that," Gale replied, meeting her harsh glare with his own.

She leaned forward, quickly glancing to either side to seemingly check that no one was listening in. He mirrored her actions, now uncertain if he wanted to know the secrets.

Her eyes met his and she allowed her front to relax a little just enough to make him feel safe, enough to let him believe that she wasn't a threat. She waited until he was mere inches away from her face, so she could feel their breath mingling.

"You really want to know," she whispered, making her eyes as wide as she could, feigning an innocence she'd never had. He simply nodded. "Well you see, I'm secretly a…" she started, looking either way once more letting the tension in him visibly build as his brow furrowed and he tried to work out what she was about to say. "Muggle," she exhaled slowly before leaning back and watching his frustration. Well what had he expected? She was hardly going to spill her life and soul to him.

Neither of them laughed: Johanna just smiled at him and he looked oddly disappointed by her answer, although she couldn't work out why.

**Author's Note: So guys I hope you are still enjoying this fic, I am having far too much fun writing it (even if the updates are still fairly slow... for which I apologize for again). Feedback would be great if you have any thoughts or feelings about the characters so far! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"OK so who the hell are you?" Finnick asked. Him and Johanna were sat in one of the small café's provided by the hospital.

"Your guardian angel," Johanna smiled over the coffee he had bought for her. She hadn't said thank you. He looked into her eyes and really seemed to be concentrating. Johanna tried not to laugh at the memory of her father saying "Anyone who has a face for when they're concentrating clearly doesn't do it very often".

"You know the longer you refuse to tell me anything the longer we're going to be here," Finnick threatened, sounding far too much like a teacher scolding a misbehaving pupil. Johanna decided the reason he had decided on those words was probably because they'd been said to him so often that they now just rolled off his tongue.

"And the longer you pretend to be in charge the more fun I'm going to have when you finally accept I'm the one with the power here," she reminded him and he furrowed his brow at her.

"Alright at least tell me why you stuck around?" he tried another approach thinking he could slowly make her comfortable and get her to talk that way. But despite the soft green of his eyes and the way she could see his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed tensely she knew it would take far longer than she was willing to give him for her to be that comfortable around him.

"Because you won't panic this way. You stay reasonably happy and don't call the police if I stick around and let you know that I pinky promise not to stab you or your friends or murder your family in the dark of the night. The real question is why did you want the girl who stabbed you to stick around?" she asked.

"I like stories," he confessed, holding her gaze as she tried not to laugh.

"What like bedtime stories? Fairytales?" she asked the threat of a smile dancing through her eyes.

"No. I like people's stories. Working out why they are the way they are, what happened to them to make them who they turned out to be," he spoke slowly, basically giving her permission to interrupt him at any time. But she didn't.

"And you think you'll like my story?" she questioned, her dissatisfaction clear in her voice.

"No. The opposite actually, but I think it would explain you. And you seem like the kind of person who's story would need to have a lot of explaining in it," Finnick answered and Johanna understood.

"You don't like your own story," she half questioned already knowing the answer. "Too predictable? Too easy? Not enough excitement?"

"Something like that," Finnick replied although something in the way he said it only made Johanna more curious about his story.

"Something leaves a lot of possibilities," she pointed out.

"Maybe I prefer it that way. But you haven't told me about yourself yet," he pressed on, trying his best not to let her distract him.

"I don't think there's much I can tell you," she said honestly.

"I doubt that," he muttered to her, leaning himself closer to her and his eyes swimming with promises that she was sure he could never keep.

"What part of my story would you like to hear?" she asked, sighing hoping he would pick something easy.

"The day you knew what you wanted to become," he specified, after barely any thought at all.

"Knew that I wanted to become what?" she asked, suddenly unsure where he was going with the conversation. She already had a list of harmless experiences lined up in her mind but she wasn't sure any of them would fit.

"This girl who seems to run from everything and stab strangers in the arm," he prodded her in the general direction of which he wanted her to go. But he knew it was unlikely she would tell him anything that he really wanted to know, anything that would really help him see what had carved this girl.

"You make it sound like that's all there is to me," a half smile perched on her lips and it was odd how her eyes were so expressive even under the awful fluorescent lighting around them when they had been so closed off all day.

"Well then enlighten me. Show me what else there is to Johanna," he challenged and, as much as she knew she could easily beat him in a fight, disappear out of his life forever, outshoot him any day, the challenge of revealing her messy and uncertain past to him seemed like too much of a challenge for her to stomach.

She thought for a second, the possibilities spinning around in her head until eventually she chose that she decided couldn't do too much damage.

"I have-" she stopped herself short, debating on whether or not to correct herself. "Two older brothers," she decided against it, Finnick noticed the odd timing of the hesitation. "When I was four years old I loved apples. Like a ridiculous amount," Johanna smiled a little at a memory separate to the one she was currently sharing with the boy who was basically still a stranger. "Anyway one day I ate an apple. The whole think, core, seeds, stalk and all because one of my brothers dared me to. Then they just kinda stared at me like I was a crazy person for a while, and I remember freaking out and thinking there was some kind of weird rash on my face. And then they just looked at me and in all seriousness just said "You're going to turn into a tree now". And then I cried while they planted me in the garden," Johanna confessed and Finnick laughed loudly for a few minutes before calming down enough for her to ask "Will that do?"

"No. I mean it's good for the fact that I can plant you if I need you to stay put again but it doesn't really explain you," he puzzled a little, getting the feeling he was missing something obvious as she fought the urge to point out he'd never be able to catch her again so needing her to stay put wasn't really an option.

"It explains why I need to know things. I didn't like being outsmarted to the point that someone actually managed to trap me over it. I promised myself that day that no one else would ever trap me by outsmarting me. The need to not be trapped stemmed from there, as did I. That one little moment that seemed so trivial and stupid to everyone else involved made me into who I am," Johanna explained. OK, so it was mostly made up. The real reason she hated being trapped would forever be a mystery to him, and to anyone else who asked about it. Because there was only five others who knew, and she could guarantee they would never talk.

Finnick took a second to reassess the story in his mind and Johanna sat back, sipping on the last few drops of her coffee and watching as he accepted her words.

"Alright," he agreed eventually.

"Alright I can go?" she double checked, placing the empty coffee cup back on the table top, her eyes suddenly darkening over into the secretive state that Finnick had begun to associate her with.

"If you want. If you need somewhere to stay besides the pool house though, I'm sure my gran won't mind you staying in the spare room," Finnick offered for one last time. He knew his gran was waiting down the street in the car since he'd text and told her she didn't have to be there when he got his stitches.

"Thanks but I stayed too long already," Johanna half-explained and Finnick couldn't help but get the feeling that he would miss the girl who had come into his life and caused nothing but confusion.

He nodded once as she stood to walk out of the hospital and go on whatever crazy journey it was fate had decided she must go on.

Finnick had been quiet most of the way home. Mags hadn't pulled him out of his mind when he had gotten into the car. She hadn't really questioned when he got out of the car at a seemingly random red light and told her he'd be home later. She had simply let him go and hadn't questioned what he was going to do or get himself into, she'd simply accepted that if he needed her to get him out of it then she'd be there.

On his own though he hadn't wanted to do anything that he usually did. He hadn't gone to a bar with the fake ID Peeta's older brother had supplied him with months ago to drink the problem away or to fuck it away with some random girl who's name he wouldn't remember the next day. Not that he usually had a say in the matter, they usually got him so drunk that he didn't care. Nor did he go to Gale to ask for the weed they sometimes smoked when they were feeling at their lowest and just needed a high on something. He knew none of that would help the irritating feeling of loss over the stupid girl that had just ambled out on him.

Why did he care so much? The question kept swirling in his mind over and over but he came no closer to an answer. Maybe because she was new and exciting and everything his life had been missing for a while? Maybe because she hadn't cared about him at all, and it was a feeling he had missed. Too many people now asked how he was, or how he was coping and it honestly only made things worse. It was why he had moved here, just to get away from everything.

He knew there were many reasons why the girl could have affected him but one stuck out in his mind. Her story. There was something about her that was intriguing; maybe it was the darkness that hid any real emotion in her eyes, the way her lips always played with the ghost of a smile but then stopped just a little bit to short for it to be real that drove him crazy with a need to know about her.

But she was gone. So that was the end of that story.

One day in thirty years or so he might pass her on the street again, might find her hiding out in some tree waiting for some unsuspecting victim to pass by. He would love to be that unsuspecting victim, just for the odd coincidence that was called life.

He turned onto his street as the streetlights started to flicker on. He had been gone longer than he'd originally thought but even then it must have been only a few hours. Plus the streetlights always went on when it was still too bright out thanks to all the paranoid mothers and powerful husbands on the street.

Most of the houses looked identical; the large white wooden paneled houses designed to look quaint and trick people into thinking that the area they lived in was pleasant, not riddled with enough secrets to create a drama that would make "Desperate Housewives" turn green with envy. Occasionally there was a sign of originality, or carelessness but generally people were too scared to stand out so avoided anything that may mess with the perfect line of flowerbeds or always freshly cut grass.

Approaching his house he was so busy trying to fish his keys out of his damned jeans that he missed the figure who was perched on the top step of the porch. Of course when he looked up he then proceeded to drop the keys like a bumbling idiot.

"Surprised?" she asked, her lips tilting into the half smile he was slowly growing fond of.

"That you couldn't resist the offer of a night in my bed? Not in the least," he smiled cockily at her to hide the fact he was oddly happy she had decided to stop by.

"I'd rather be in the pool house," she rolled her eyes as she spoke. He was oddly relieved she had refused the offer. He wasn't entirely sure what he'd do if she had accepted. Well, he knew, but he wasn't exactly sure how to go about it with the feisty brunette. "Plus Mags already started setting up the guest bedroom," she mumbled a little and he swore she seemed almost embarrassed by the fact.

"Shame," he shrugged half-heartedly.

"I did offer to wait in your room, but she told me it was best I was here when you got back," Johanna bit back the fact that Mags had informed her just how grumpy he had seemed after their hospital visit. And also that the reason she had offered to wait in his room was to ambush him in the hope of knocking his confidence down a few notches and remind him not to try anything stupid over the course of the night.

"Why my room?" he asked, the curiosity clear in the way his brow furrowed but his slight smugness clear in the way one half of his mouth twitched up into a cocky half-smirk.

"Well when I jumped out of a cupboard to ambush someone I figured I should really make sure that it wasn't your poor gran's room. Don't want two hospital visits in one night," Johanna shrugged.

"You think I'm still unprepared for a surprise attack?" he asked, now his voice filled with challenge.

"Probably, plus you have a very obvious weakness in your arm," Johanna shrugged, standing up slowly so that while he stood at the bottom of the stairs and she stood on the top step she was just a few inches taller than him.

The pair glared at each other as they had done so many times already that day, each deciding how they would win the possible fight Having each decided that they themselves would win Finnick smirked and went to open the door.

"Just one night," Johanna repeated, more to herself than to Finnick. And it was almost amusing, that that was how it all started.

**Author's Note: I know I'm awful awful awful for updates but my course has been at it's maddest recently and sadly I don't think it shall be calming down anytime soon, so you may have to bear with me a little for updates. So in response to the guest review that was left I shall do my best to update at least once a week but I can't make any promises. But on the other hand I hope you guys are still enjoying the story and your feedback would be so appreciated it's not even real! **

**-R**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Finnick!" Johanna half screamed, walking into the bathroom the pair had been sharing for a few weeks now. "Would you learn to lock a door?"

"Why? You uncomfortable?" he smirked as he walked towards her, the too small hand towel barely covering his modesty. He should have realized Johanna wasn't one to back down so easily. She quickly pulled the over large shirt she'd been wearing over her head, leaving her standing in just a pair of Finnick's boxers she'd become all too comfortable with.

"Actually I just didn't think you'd want to hear me singing in the shower," she grinned back as Finnick's mouth fell open as he took in her half naked form. He shifted the towel awkwardly to try and hide how his body was reacting.

"I hate you," he answered and turned to walk out into his bedroom, tossing the towel over his head and into her face. She quickly shook it away and glared daggers into his back before he closed the door, chuckling away to himself.

She dutifully locked the door behind him before locking the door that connected to her own room. She didn't mind sharing a bathroom with Finnick, but if she saw him naked just one more time she would remove certain parts of his anatomy that would lead to his nakedness being uncomfortable for everyone involved.

She showered quickly; taking no more than the ten minutes she always took, and wondered how much longer she'd be able to stay here. Sure she hadn't been found yet but time was running out. She figured that they'd only managed to not find her because there was no paper trail and she'd disposed of the car she'd been using quickly and set up about eight false trails herself thanks to the public transport. Plus much as she hated to admit it, she liked having an almost real home again.

She hopped out the shower and dressed quickly, pulling on baggy sweat pants and a tank top that Mags had kindly bought for her. She had also bought some more stylish, designer looking clothes but Johanna preferred the comfort of the soft material.

Settling herself on her bed and pulling her hair back into a ponytail she removed the photos of the diary from under her pillow and studied them. She was no closer to even working out which language they were in. The Scandinavian languages all looked so similar and she still couldn't decide if Google translate was a reliable source as it had declared that each Scandinavian language could work for the extracts she'd typed in. She debated whether or not it was a mixture of languages, all weaved together to confuse someone who might try and decipher it later on.

"What you got there?" Finnick asked, leaning against the doorframe and allowing his mouth to form the crooked smile she'd grown all too used to.

"Nothing important," she answered, setting the sheets down on the bed.

"Nothing you ever do seems to be important but I get the feeling your plotting world domination or something," he shook his head. Due to the giddy smile that was etched across his face she didn't have to spend too much time working out what he'd been up to while she was in the shower.

"You think I'd settle for the world?" she asked, sounding genuinely offended by the statement.

"Alright Miss Future Ruler of the Universe, I'm heading out. Sure you don't want to actually leave the house for once?" he asked, and she got the feeling he was still only doing it to be polite.

"And join you and the rest of Boyzone? I think I'm good here," she replied. In all honesty she was a little curious about Finnick's friends and what they did for fun but she wasn't about to give Finnick's ego a stroke it didn't need by tagging along with him for a day.

"Suit yourself, have fun scheming," he said by way of goodbye and turned to leave her rolling her eyes at the empty doorframe. She picked up the sheets again and stared blankly at them, the words making no more sense to her now than they had the first day she'd seen them.

She sighed and wandered downstairs to the study to see if she could find any books that would help her. Not that she was in high hopes. Her fingers skimmed along the rough surfaces of the well-loved collection.

"You like to read?" a delicate voice asked, causing Johanna to jerk out of her own little world and turn to face Mags.

"When I have time," she answered honestly, she just didn't mention the only time she had had to read was when her father decided there was an interesting piece or when she'd snuck out to the local library without his permission.

"Well one should always make time to read, what kind of things do you like?" she asked, joining the girl in the room and already beginning to scan the shelves.

"The same thing as everyone I guess. An adventure that lets me forget my own troubles for a while," Johanna sighed and Mags simply nodded and headed over to a certain shelf and pulled off a book for her.

"Try this. It's not too complicated and shouldn't take more than a few days to read," Mags answered the question Johanna hadn't asked, but also asked one of her own.

"Thank you," Johanna murmured. "For everything."

"Not at all my dear, you've been more than a pleasure to have a round. Keeping my Fin in his place," she exhaled heavily and Johanna knew that it was something she struggled with.

"How did you two come to be? If you don't mind my asking," Johanna rushed the second part of her question, feeling like she was growing too curious about the people she was staying with. Mags handed her the book before answering and Johanna held onto _Poison Study_ tightly.

"Of course not dear. Finnick is a good boy at heart, but a few years ago he lost his mother. His dad was never around, left as soon as he found out that his mother was pregnant with him, so when she died he had no one except for me," the woman seemed oddly proud of this fact. "He loses his way every now and again, forgets that his mum wouldn't want that kind of thing from him but he always comes back. He always will," the woman spoke the last sentence softly and Johanna knew that she was simply hoping as much, she had no proof.

"If you ever need help knocking some sense in to him, I'm more than happy to help," Johanna offered, feeling like she owed this woman for her unquestioning kindness. She still knew next to nothing about Johanna and yet she took her into her home, made sure she had suitable clothes and was fed three times a day.

"Oh I don't doubt that dear, I think you'll do real good for him," she smiled sweetly and Johanna felt her chest tighten at the woman's high opinion of her. "Now have you had breakfast yet?" she asked lightly, changing the subject completely.

"Not yet, I was just going to grab some coffee and go re-"

"Nonsense, coffee is an addition to breakfast, not a breakfast in itself," Mags insisted and made her way through to the kitchen. "Would you like eggs with your bacon?" she called halfway there, deciding the girl was too thin to have anything but bacon for breakfast. Maybe a muffin too if she decided not to protest.

"If you're making some anyway," Johanna sighed, deciding there was no use in arguing with the woman. The pair were as stubborn as each other, maybe Mags a little more so since Johanna knew when it was time to surrender and make a run for it.

Just then the doorbell went off and Johanna furrowed her brow a little. It was the first time the doorbell had gone, usually people just let themselves in when calling for Fin, or Mags expected them and left the door wide open. Neither of these habits helped settle Johanna's nerves over the fact that she was undoubtedly still being hunted.

"Would you mind getting that Jo?" Mags called from the kitchen and, deciding that serial killers wouldn't use the doorbell, Johanna went to oblige. As she approached she heard the familiar sound of Finnick's laughing and much as she hated to admit it, the sound helped relax her a little. She assumed he'd just forgotten his keys again.

She opened the door to find him, a girl, a boy she didn't recognize and the boy she'd run into in the hospital.

"Miss me already?" she asked, cocking her head to the side and smiling at him in an overly sweet way that didn't suit her strong features.

"Just hoping for another repeat of this morning," he winked after he spoke and she swore she saw the boy (Gabe's?) face darken a few shades.

"And you even brought an audience, how sweet," Johanna added before turning and walking back towards the kitchen.

"What happened this morning?" Gale asked Finnick as they entered the house.

"Nothing really," Finnick answered and Johanna found herself respecting the cocky boy a little more for keeping their half-naked encounter to himself.

Johanna sat at the breakfast bar after offering Mags some help but was shooed off quickly. Finnick and his group followed after her. He grabbed a few beers from the fridge.

"Finnick I hope you're not so stupid as to be drinking those in broad daylight!" Mags half scolded him. Johanna noticed that she didn't care about the fact he was drinking well underage.

"Nah we're heading up to Peeta's lake house for the day, no one goes that far out," Finnick explained like the fact a bunch of drunk teenagers running around in what sounded suspiciously like the middle of nowhere was meant to reassure his worried gran. He handed a crate of beer to Gale as he spoke and Gale watched Johanna curiously. She acted like she didn't notice, mostly because she was fascinated at how stupid Finnick seemed to think his gran was.

"Johanna did you and your friends ever leave for a day to go and drink without adult supervision?" Mags questioned her.

"No ma'am," Johanna answered. Of course, she failed to mention that she was only a year off legal drinking age in Scotland, that an adult was technically 18 years old (so both of her older brothers counted), and that she hadn't really had friends to leave and go drinking with anyway.

"Exactly, and quite the respectable young lady it's made of you," Mags answered sharply with a slight smile dancing in her eyes.

Finnick's eyes danced with the possibility of telling Mags exactly what the "lady" had gotten up to with him in the bathroom that morning but one death glare from Johanna and he bit his tongue and a new, much wickeder idea formed.

"Perhaps the lady would like to come with us and make sure we are behaving ourselves respectfully while there?" Finnick proposed and Johanna wanted to beat him with the frying pan Mags was using to make her delicious smelling breakfast in.

"What a lovely idea," Mags answered for her, and, just like with the breakfast, Johanna knew there would be no swaying the woman.

"Fine, but I'm keeping my sweats on," she answered stubbornly as Mags placed a plate of breakfast on the bar for her.

"Meet us outside when you're ready then," Finnick shrugged and began carting things out to where Johanna assumed a car was waiting.

"You'll need something other than sweats dear, it's going to get warm by our standards never mind Irish ones," she raised her eyebrows expectantly at Johanna.

"I think you're the only guardian to suggest a girl put on less clothes to be in the company of their grandson," Johanna pointed out ruefully, already accepting defeat. The woman laughed brightly and Johanna knew that at some point the woman would have been a real treat for any man to have on his arm. Very unlike Johanna who would have rather chopped off someone's arm than take it.

"Either way, I have accepted that if a pretty girl tells my Fin what to do, the less clothes she's wearing the more likely he is to listen," Mags admitted sadly and Johanna almost felt bad for her. She clearly had high hopes for the boy, but he refused to live up to them.

"Looks like we'll be needing to find a pretty girl then," Johanna muttered, biting into her bacon violently.

"Don't you be doubting yourself. I saw the way all three of them boys was looking at you when they came in here just now and I wish they had just stopped their thoughts at 'pretty'," Mags muttered the last part a little distastefully. Johanna had to admit, the woman knew how to butter someone up, but she wasn't so easily convinced.

"I doubt I'll ever be able to win with you Mags. So what would you recommend?" Johanna queried, placing some of the scrambled eggs onto fresh toast.

"Definitely something you don't mind getting wet. I've seen poor Katniss showing up here after being thrown in the lake more times than anyone dare count when out with that lot. I doubt they'll be going easy on you," Mags warned. Johanna refrained from telling her that she doubted Finnick would try anything, he still hadn't forgotten that she had stabbed him and was still occasionally cautious around her.

"Thanks for the advice," Johanna muttered. "So you want me to keep an eye on Fin while we're up there? Make sure he don't get into too much trouble," Johanna double-checked. Her father used to assign her tasks for the day, and if she managed them all she got a reward, but none of them had involved babysitting a cocky, horny teenager.

"I'd rather you make sure he's not getting into any girls," Mags sighed. "Why can't he just aim for a nice girl like you?" she wondered aloud and Johanna squinted her head at her words.

"Umm, thanks for breakfast. I'll watch Fin," she muttered awkwardly before heading up the stairs to change.

"Please tell me you weren't serious about the sweats comment?" Finnick half begged as she went over to the foot of the stairs in the hall. She noticed how the others stopped what they were doing to watch the interaction between the pair. She debated how much Fin had told them about her, his mysterious houseguest.

"You'll have to wait and see," she commented, remembering a pair of embarrassingly short shorts Mags had bought her. She did wonder what the older woman was playing at.

**Author's Note: Once again I apologize for taking way longer than planned to update! However I hope you guys are still enjoying the story and I hope to be able to give you guys more updates from now on. Please let me know what you guys think and what shenanigans could possibly happen at the lake :) **

**-R**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The car journey was horrendous. Apparently the Katniss girl had called shotgun, which was some sort of unbreakable contract meaning she got to ride in the front of Fin's friends car, leaving Johanna sat in the back between Gale and Finnick. Gale didn't seem to be causing too much bother, turning a little red every time their bare legs brushed accidentally. Fin on the other hand patted his knee invitingly whenever she tried to squirm into a more comfortable position.

"You know there's no problem pulling over if you want a more… comfortable seat?" Fin whispered in her ear.

"Thanks but your friend looks more comfortable," Johanna replied, turning her head so their lips were mere millimeters apart. She realized a second too late that everyone else in the car (even the driver who was now stuck at traffic lights) had turned to watch, Katniss and Gale sharing a raised eyebrow and the driver looking like he wasn't quite sure he believed what was happening in the back of his car.

"You know they now want to know which one you mean?" Fin teased, his playfully smile leading to her zapping his side with her fingers causing him to squirm.

"I meant Katniss you perverts," Jo sighed heavily.

"You know that invitations open too," Katniss offered with a cheeky wink for Jo.

"Take the invitation," Fin half begged.

"What are you hoping for here Fin? Me to straddle her in a strangers car?" she questioned.

"Hey my names Peeta, see not a stranger anymore. Wanna take the offer now?" Peeta teased from the front of the car, ignoring the hooting car behind him since he'd been too distracted by the conversation taking place to remember that green light means move.

"I feel like I need some more personal information before I can class you as not a stranger," Jo answered, leaning forward between the front seats. Turning back around quickly as Finnick began laughing behind her. "What?"

"Says the queen of mystery herself," Fin pointed out.

"Just because I'm not willing to answer the questions you ask doesn't make me queen," Jo shot back.

"I like this one Fin, can we keep her?" Katniss added in from the front seat.

"I don't know, she's kinda getting on my tits," Fin answered.

"Actually I think the problem is she won't let you get on her tits," Gale added in, it was the first time he'd contributed to the conversation and Jo found his input to be her favorite so far. She rewarded his comment with a laugh and a smile towards him, which he missed as he returned his attention to the scenery outside.

"Peeta watch the road!" Katniss shrieked as Peeta drifted dangerously onto the other side of the road. She reached her hand out to the steering wheel, accidentally placing it on top of his hand and holding it there a second too long before awkwardly retracting her hand away again without looking at him. Peeta coughed once and then went back to giving the road all of his concentration. Johanna shot Finnick a look that was met with a "don't ask about it" eye roll in return.

"Looking forward to being out of the house for a change?" Katniss turned to Johanna. "We hear Finny's had you locked up there for months now."

"You think Fin could keep me locked up?" Johanna laughed accidentally, forgetting that Fin probably hadn't been completely honest with how the pair met.

"Fair point," Katniss smiled in reply.

"JoJo's just worried she'll burn with that Irish skin," Fin joked.

"So how much further is it to this secret lakehouse where the laws of drinking don't apply?" Jo asked, ignoring Fin completely.

"It's not just the laws of drinking that don't apply," Fin responded, naturally picking up on the part of the statement that Johanna didn't care either way about. She answered him with an elbow to the ribs. She found herself unable to communicate with him in any other way most of the time.

"Not too far, maybe another five minutes," Peeta answered her actual question which she was thankful for. She wasn't sure how much longer she could put up with being smooshed between Gale and Finnick.

"Thanks," she replied sinking against the car seat fully and sighing slightly. She had planned a relaxing day, struggling over google translate and reading the book Mags had offered her, which she now remembered she'd forgotten to take with her, instead she was going to have to put up with Fin. Admittedly his friends didn't seem too bad.

"Who else is at the lake today?" Katniss asked Finnick, seeming to think that he'd know.

"Cato's heading up, not sure who with, to bring the stuff-"

"What stuff?" Johanna asked.

"Stuff," Finnick answered sharply. Johanna had never heard him speak so defensively and decided to drop it until later.

"You know he'll probably bring Glimmer and that group right?" Katniss pointed out, sounding like they weren't exactly best of friends.

"The cheerleaders you mean?" Peeta asked and Katniss shot him a dirty look. Johanna got the feeling there was some kind of history between her and the cheerleaders that ran deeper than some petty jealousy.

"I had a few more imaginative names but I guess you could call them that," Katniss replied and Gale chuckled quietly beside Johanna.

"Are Charlie and Roco heading up?" Finnick asked Peeta directly, clearly wanting to move away from the topic of the cheerleaders.

"Nah Roco has started moving his stuff up to Georgia and Charlie is off meeting Bristels parents in New York. We have the place to ourselves," Peeta informed him excitedly.

"Not bad Mellark," Finnick complemented.

"Is Annie coming?" Katniss asked him more precisely.

"I didn't ask her, it's not really her scene," Finnick answered.

"Or it's not the scene you imagine her in?" Katniss questioned.

"Nah you know how she feels about these kind of things," Finnick shrugged her off.

"Plus her and Madge are off shopping today anyway," Gale added and Johanna turned to him.

"How did you know that Gale?" Finnick asked, almost worried that Gale knew more about Annie than he did.

"Madge told me yesterday. Apparently Miss. Morphling has given them a list of crazy ridiculous things they need for art and it'll take them most of the weekend to find half of it," Gale answered, and Finnick seemed to relax slightly and Jo couldn't help but wonder why.

"Yeah I have a feeling Mr. Morphling gave us the same list. Pretty sure they're higher than you guys half the time," Peeta huffed angrily.

"Gotta get the creativity flowing somehow," Finnick offered as way of explanation. "Not everyone's as naturally talented as you with their hands," he added cheekily. Peeta simply responded by letting his chair slide back and collide with Fins already crushed legs.

"My bad dude," Peeta said as way of fake apology before pulling the chair forward again but Finnick rubbed his legs with a smile anyway.

"So what's going on with you and Madge anyways Galey Waley?" Fin asked, deciding he'd tormented Peeta enough for now.

"Well we both have these things called mouths and sometimes we talk with them," Gale answered sarcastically.

"So what do you do with them when you're not talking?" Fin asked grinning in a way that would put the Cheshire cat to shame.

"Will you hit him for me?" Gale asked Johanna, who was snapped out of her own world for a second.

"I'll wait 'til I can get my hands on a heavy object," she promised him.

"I like having her on my side," Gale smirked at Finnick.

"Actually I think you'll find she's in the middle, no side taken," Fin responded. As if making up her mind Johanna shifted over towards Gale, leaning against his side and he moved his arm around her shoulders casually and enjoyed the fake offence on Finnick's face.

"You were saying?" Johanna smiled sweetly at him.

"Just that I don't like you very much," Finnick answered.

"I think I'll get over it especially when your friends are so comfy," as if to emphasize the point she snuggled against Gale further.

"I've changed my mind," Katniss declared. "I love this one we're definitely keeping her!"

"Kat you're meant to be on my side!" Fin complained.

"I'm sorry Fin but anyone who can get you to make you make the pouty face is not expendable to us," she shrugged as an apology.

"We're here," Peeta declared pulling the gear stick up just as Finnick muttered "I need to find new friends."

"Is that everything?" Katniss asked, clearly the organized one of the group, as the boys finished setting out the deck chairs. Johanna had to admire the house as her and Katniss had headed inside to set the drinks and snacks up, although the drinks had seemed to be more important than the chips and dips that were available.

"Everything we could find," Peeta answered chirpily, clearly happy to be done with driving for the day, while taking a beer from Katniss.

"Do you guys have anything say… non-alcoholic?" Johanna called down from the porch. She rolled her eyes slightly when Finnicks sarcastic comment died in his throat. She wasn't sure she was going to forgive Katniss for saying that she'd be fine in just the black bikini top and denim shorts.

"Water," Peeta finally recommended.

"Sounds like I'm in for a fun afternoon then," Johanna sighed and turned to head back into the house. Her journey to the kitchen was cut short when she bumped into a rather solid object she assumed to be a wall until it started moving.

"You ok there?" Gale asked and Johanna took a second to recover from the fact he was shirtless. Sure she had no problem with Finnick being shirtless, or even being shirtless around Finnick but there was something different about the silent boy that left her feeling… well different when he was slightly undressed around her.

"Yeah just getting some water," she answered, trying to look past him and into the kitchen.

"I'll come grab a beer," he offered and then turned to lead her to the kitchen she already knew the location of. She scrambled around in a few random cupboards in search of a glass.

"Looking for this?" Gale asked holding a glass out for her.

"Umm, yeah thanks," she answered, taking the glass from him and walking over to the sink.

"So how come you're not drinking?" Gale asked.

"Mags asked me to keep an eye on Finnick, I get the feeling if I start drinking then he might not let me stop and then I won't be the most capable babysitter," Johanna answered filling up her glass as she spoke.

"It's sweet you care so much about him," Gale offered and Johanna furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"You guys all seem to care about him," she pointed out, feeling slightly like Gale was implying something or digging for information that wasn't there.

"Yeah but it's not very often that a girl he winds up in the hospital with still looks after him months later," Gale answered sounding almost like he was apologizing at the same time.

"Is it a regular occurrence?" Johanna asked.

"Weirdly more common than most people expect," Gale smiled at her. "I'm just saying it's nice that someone's looking out for him for Mags. She seems to really value your help."

"Well thanks I guess," she said as way of reply, not really sure what else to say to the boy leaning awkwardly against the counter like he was waiting for her to say something else. "Should we head out?" she asked, not sure what else to say.

"Yeah sure, after you," he held his arm out to indicate towards the door and she walked slowly, placing each foot as she would do if she was preparing for an attack. Something about the boy unsettled her and she would find out what it was.

Reemerging outside she noticed the presence of a tall blonde boy leaning on Katniss' shoulder in a way that Peeta seemed overly disapproving of. He looked up to see Gale and Johanna on the porch and whispered something in Katniss' ear to which she shook her head and laughed slightly making something in Johanna's stomach tighten uncomfortably.

"Good to see you finally got some action Gale boy," the blonde boy shouted. Johanna had already decided this one was not to be liked.

"Careful Cato this one's a ninja," Finnick warned.

"I never knew ninjas were so hot underneath the mask," Cato hinted and one side of his mouth curled up in approval. Johanna seriously regretted listening to both Mags and Katniss for a moment.

"Finnick is he staying?" Johanna huffed a little, making it clear that she didn't approve of his presence.

"If you continue to make the pouty face then he's simply not expendable," Finnick shot back and Johanna debated if she could be bothered returning to the kitchen to get another glass of water if she threw the one in her hands over Finnick.

"Well fun as this is I believe we have some business to do Finny boy," Cato stepped away from Katniss slightly making Peeta visibly relax.

"We do indeed," Finnick answered pulling his wallet out of his shorts as Cato pulled a bag from his own.

"What kind of business?" Johanna asked, not sure she wanted to believe what her mind thought was going on.

"What do you think?" Gale asked from slightly behind her.

"Oh hell no! You are not getting high Finnick O'dair!" Johanna demanded.

"You're right. _We're_ getting high," he corrected her.

"All of you?" Johanna questioned.

"Sorry all of us but Peeta since he's driving," Finnick corrected himself.

"Sure but hanging around you guys while you're getting high won't do him any damage?" Johanna questioned like they were a bunch of idiots, which in her mind they all were now anyway.

"It'll be fine," Finnick insisted.

"No it will not Finnick. How are we meant to get home?" she asked, crossing her arms over her torso to cover some of the skin left exposed by her bikini top as Cato continued to eye her up and down throughout the conversation.

"I can take you home," Cato offered seductively.

"I am not speaking to you. Finnick answer the question," she demanded.

"We can crash here for the night," Peeta offered.

"See there you go. Problem solved," Finnick answered Johanna sounding like he was fed up of this conversation already.

"In that case mind if we join you guys here later?" Cato asked, now moving his eyes from Johanna to Finnick, even though the house belonged to Peeta.

"Who's 'we'?" Katniss questioned.

"Me, Marvel, Clove, Enobria, Cashmere you know the usual's," Cato shrugged. Johanna wasn't sure how much that relaxed Katniss but something about her seemed almost relieved.

"Yeah just bring some booze," Peeta chipped in and then turned to head back inside, causing Johanna and Gale to move out of his way on the porch.

"See you later then boys and girls," Cato waved as he walked off and Finnick and Katniss began to walk back in again.

"You aren't seriously getting high," Johanna grabbed him as he headed past as Gale and Katniss headed inside.

"Course I am, and I think you should join us," he recommended and Johanna rolled her eyes at him as he headed back inside. Truth was she knew what she was like when she was high, and there was no way she was letting Finnick or anyone else see that side of her.

**Author's Note: Hey yo guys! I hope you're all doing well and still enjoying the story. What do you think of their time at the lake so far? And what kind of shenanigans do you think they'll be getting up to at the party tonight? Please leave feedback as always guys! And for the guest who asked my twitter is Boydie93 and I'll try and keep you updated on what's going on and will be more than happy to answer any questions you have via twitter :). **

**-R**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

"So how often does this happen then?" Jo asked Peeta as they gathered some firewood from the nearby forest. She liked it in here; she had always felt more at home among the trees for some reason.

"Usually a few times a month," Peeta shrugged, grabbing a few extra logs and adding them to the growing pile in Johanna's arms. It seemed that his parents had prepared for most situations, with enough food in the cabin to satisfy both Finnick and Gales ridiculous feeding habits, and enough bedding that everyone could stay comfortably in the house.

"And you never join them?" she checked.

"I did a few times," he answered.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked.

"Figured out my minds weird enough as it is," he explained with a tone of mystery around it. "And you?"

"What about me?" she questioned. She seemed to do that a lot around him.

"Why'd you quit it?" he asked casually.

"I don't have much time for distractions," she informed him.

"Doesn't explain why you quit," he pointed out.

"I found more amusing distractions," she informed him. "How'd you know anyway?"

"Actually I didn't, me and Gale had a bet," he teased, she took a second to be mad about the fact he'd managed to outsmart her just a little.

"So what did you win?" she asked.

"Actually I have to drive Gale everywhere for a month now," Peeta sighed almost sounding disappointed but something told Johanna the pair didn't spend enough time apart for it to really annoy him.

"I won't tell if you don't," Johanna winked.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," Peeta smiled at her. "But I made a deal, I have to honor that," he sighed.

"You're such a goody-too-shoes," she huffed.

"Says the one who volunteered to babysit Finnick," he replied.

"I'm not really the volunteering type," she answered.

"No one is when it comes to Finnick," Peeta rolled his eyes.

"I dunno I've heard that most girls seem to be willing to volunteer for most things when it comes to Finnick," she sighed exhaustedly.

"Is that your way of saying you're jealous?" Peeta asked excitedly.

"Says the one who looked like he was going to kill Cato for leaning on Katniss," she shot back.

"Says the one who looked like she was going to kill Cato just for being there," he joked.

"Again with the being an asshole thing! I'm starting to think there's something in the water here," she muttered.

"Oh Jo how you wound my pride," Peeta mocked her and she shoved him slightly as they began their walk back.

"Not you, you're too much like a puppy dog to be an ass," she let him know and he responded by throwing an arm around her as the cabin came back into sight again.

"Well, well, well, first Gale now Peeta, you're fairly making your way through the group," the irritatingly familiar voice of Cato greeted the pair and Peeta dropped his arm from her shoulder immediately. "Aww, come on Peeta no need to be embarrassed. I mean sure she's out of your league and will be in need of some proper attention, which I am here for by the way," he added with a wink. "But come on at least enjoy it while it lasts."

"Proper attention?" Johanna asked, a little more than a hint of venom in her voice. Finnick shot Cato a look that tried to warn him of the dangerous territory he was stepping into but he already knew it wouldn't work.

"You know, if none of them are satisfying your… needs," he answered in a tone that would have been seductive if it weren't for the violent thoughts that were scattered through Johanna's mind. She was for once glad she didn't have her gun on her.

"Let's get on thing very clear Cato. I do have needs, needs which neither Peeta, Gale or even Finnick are satisfying because I am not going to give them the chance to and because I can take care of them myself. So thank's for the creepy offer, but I'm good," she answered, trying to keep her voice calm and collected as she began walking past him back into the house.

"Can I at least watch so I know you're being satisfied?" Cato asked in such a way that Johanna wasn't sure of the exact moment she started seeing red, she also wasn't sure when she dropped all but one of the logs she'd previously been carrying and threw the chosen one at Cato's head.

However she did know that he dodged it smoothly but it was too late, her mind had already started planning out the best way to attack and so her body followed the orders that came from years of training. As Cato leaned backwards to dodge the log, Johanna raised her leg and kicked him hard in the stomach causing him to topple backwards and onto the ground. She didn't give him a chance to recover before she pounced on him and pinned his arms to the ground, leaving him trapped underneath her.

"I think that's all the proof we need that you couldn't even handle watching," she whispered to him, leaning back enough to smirk at him before standing up. "Finnick get the wood. I don't care if it includes Cato's or not," she instructed before entering the lodge feeling oddly proud that she could still take down someone easily twice the size of her.

"So I hear you gave Cato an interesting time," Gale greeted Johanna later that night, his breath smelling slightly more interesting that Johanna would have liked.

"Meh, not interesting in the way he would have liked," she shrugged and looked up to him.

"Are you saying he didn't enjoy it? Even a little bit? Cause I'm not convinced your woody comment was all that far off," he teased and Johanna felt herself blush a little. She knew the effect she had on Finnick, but that was because it was Finnick and she didn't much care what he thought of her. Something about the Cato boy made her wish he would keep those kind of thoughts as far away from her as possible. "You're blushing!" he yelled a little too loudly and drew the attention of about eight too many people.

"What's got our darling little Jo all embarrassed?" Finnick called from across the room where a blonde girl was perched comfortably on his lap.

"Just making people horny," Gale shrugged like it was no big deal. Johanna was just about ready to kill all of them.

"Who's horny?" another voice called.

"Johanna!" Katniss shouted the greeting at exactly the wrong moment.

"No she's _making_ people horny keep up Katnip," Gale corrected her and Johanna hit him in the gut swiftly.

"Kind of a shame for you guys that I'm not going to do anything about it then," Johanna answered calmly as Katniss shot her an impressed look as the rest of the room erupted into impressed sounds.

"Finnick why have you never forced Jo out until now?" Katniss turned to Finnick, who's mouth seemed to be planted tactfully on the blonde girls neck.

"Didn't want you getting jealous of her before I replaced you," Finnick detached himself from the girls neck long enough to answer before she forced herself in a rather unladylike manner onto his mouth.

"Don't worry Katnip you know you're still our number one," Gale said and pulled her towards him causing her to spill her drink all over herself in surprise, which Johanna felt was the whole point of the exercise.

"Gale you're such an ass," she complained although she was giggling too much for the insult to sound serious. She pushed herself away from him and turned to head upstairs. Johanna was about to head off after her when she felt something warm grip onto her hip.

"Not so fast, I still have a question for you," Gale's sweetened breath was sticky on her neck as he leaned down over her and she felt herself tense at his presence. She felt his finger begin to circle just under the hem of her shirt and the action seemed to be the only thing she could focus on.

"You people seem to have a lot of questions," she sighed, turning to face him and forcing him to remove his hand from her hip.

"That's because you won't give us any answers," he pointed out, seeming to be so proud of himself that he rewarded himself with a swig of beer. She decided it wasn't worth arguing with the drunk boy.

"So what is your question this time?" she sighed instead, crossing her arms and shifting her posture to show she was waiting impatiently for the answer.

"Peeta and I had a bet earlier," he started, gauging her response.

"So I heard," she informed him, her pose not shifting at all. "I also heard you won," she added on as an extra point.

"Not bad information gathering there," he complimented her. "But I want to know the other things," he almost challenged.

"What other things?" Johanna asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"What other trouble you've gotten into," he asked. Johanna smiled a little at him and walked slowly towards him and stood on the tips of her toes so that her mouth was as close to his ear as she was comfortable with before whispering five simple words.

"Trouble implies I got caught."

**Authors Note: Hey guys! I am so glad you're all still here and reviewing it means so much when I hear what you guys think so please please keep it up :) So there is still some shenanigans I have planned for the lake house, however I am headed off on holiday tomorrow so I'm not 100% sure when the next update will be but I will do my best to make it ASAP and I really really would love your feedback on what you want to see (hope you enjoyed the ass-whooping btw for the Guest who asked for it!) **

**-R**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

The rest of the night was fairly uneventful in Johanna's mind. Finnick disappeared upstairs with the blonde girl to no ones surprise, the rest sat around continuing to drink and make ridiculous conversation, in fact she was currently amusing herself by observing a conversation where a boy apologized for stealing a Singing Kettle video 13 years ago… to a plant. She hated to admit how amused she was by the conversation.

"Why are you watching Marvel talk to a plant?" Peeta asked her and she snapped out of the daze she was in.

"Why aren't you watching Marvel talk to a plant?" she shot back.

"Because you'd be amazed how often it happens," he shrugged and leaned against the back of the couch. "So where are you actually from?"

"Ireland," she answered simply, watching the Marvel boy as he hugged the tree in an apologetic manner. "Who does he think he's talking to?"

"No one knows and every time he snaps out of it he has no idea either. It's one of life's greatest mysteries," he answered mysteriously.

"I mean I didn't even give you my Action Man that you wanted so badly!" Marvel continued and Johanna turned to Peeta with a questioning look on her face.

"Again, it happens a lot," Peeta explained with a bored tone.

"Is it always Action Man? Cause part of me thinks he really means Barbie," Johanna puzzled as Marvel continued to hug the plant.

"Really? I had him pegged for a Cindy guy myself. Anyway why'd you come over here?" he questioned, changing the conversation back to the thing Johanna didn't want to talk about.

"Because I had to. And nah Cindy is too delicate for him, look at the way he's just throwing himself all over that plant. He'd have broken a Cindy in no time," she pointed out casually before taking a sip of her coke.

"Why'd you have to?"

"Why'd you want to know?"

"I was just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Curious cats kill more rats."

"Are you saying you're going to kill me?"

"No it's just what my mother used to say…"

"Peeta what the hell are you doing! Didn't you see her kick Cato's ass earlier!" Gale interrupted them and Johanna felt herself relax a little, she hadn't meant to get so worked up. She noted to work on her self-control.

"Yeah was pretty damn impressive actually," he answered.

"Someone was looking for you by the way dude," Gale added as an almost after thought, completely ignoring what Peeta said.

"Gee 'someone' narrows it down nicely," Johanna answered for Peeta.

"If it's important they'll come find me," Peeta shrugged.

"It was Katniss, I think she was throwing up," Gale added and Johanna had never seen someone who wasn't either trained by her father or who was her father move so fast as Peeta did then. "That worked," Gale smiled evilly.

"What worked?" Johanna asked.

"Getting rid of him. Like I'd ever leave Katniss if she was throwing up," he shook his head in disbelief as he spoke and Johanna stared at him blankly.

"We were talking you know," she informed him, incase in his state he had missed the obvious fact.

"No, he was setting himself up to go the same way that Cato did by the looks of it. Plus I need to talk to you."

"What bet did you make this time? Cause I have been drunk too before you ask," she rolled her eyes.

"Well everyone knew that silly. I want to know about this trouble you avoided so easily before," he leaned towards her as he spoke and she swallowed sharply but held his gaze sternly, forcing herself not to look away because that would be a sign of-

"What do you mean 'she's upstairs with Finnick'?!" someone yelled from the hallway causing both Johanna and Gale to turn their attention their.

"I mean she's upstairs with Finnick. Don't look at me like it's my fault she's more than capable of making her own drunk decisions," a much calmer female voice answered.

"Gale we have a problem, I checked all the bathrooms, garden, bedrooms, for the record no one go in Finnick's room and even the start of the forest and I can't find her she must have wandered off somewhere," Peeta reappeared looking out of breath and red faced.

"Who's not in any of those places?" Katniss asked, stepping out of the dining room and into the living room.

"Katniss!" Peeta exclaimed loudly and hugged her tightly, much to Katniss surprise. "I was so worried. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I mean I guess some more dip for the chips would be good-"

"Whatever you need," he gushed and ran out of the room.

"Gloss where are you going? Didn't you hear Peeta? Don't go into Finnick's room," Cato taunted the other boy from the bottom of the staircase.

"Cato leave him be, what's the worst he's actually going to do?" a short brunette girl smirked up after him, seeming to know exactly what effect her words would have on Gloss.

"FINNICK!" Gloss shouted as his footsteps stormed down the hallway.

"Yeah?" Finnick answered calmly, clearly in the hallway. Then there was the sound of someone hitting the wall.

"Fuck!" the now even angrier voice of Gloss called out.

"Gloss what the hell!" a very high-pitched voice asked and, unless somehow Finnick had been hit in a very special part of his anatomy, Johanna suspected it was the girl that all this fuss was over.

"Dude what was that going to be for?" Finnick asked, still sounding completely out of everything.

"What the fuck do you think?" Gloss demanded.

"Is anyone going to do anything about the fact he probably just punched a wall?" Johanna asked Gale.

"Meh, happens more often than you'd think. Best just leave them to it really," he shrugged and walked off, leaving Gloss, Finnick and the girl upstairs shouting over things that Johanna decided she didn't really care about.

"Look who stuck around after all," Cato greeted her by blocking her way into the kitchen after Katniss and Peeta.

"You say it like I had some other kind of choice," Johanna answered, debating if it was really polite to deck him twice in one day.

"My offer still stands," he whispered and Johanna caught sight of the short brunette girl form earlier giving her strange looks.

"As does my answer. Excuse me-"

"So this is the girl everyone's talking about?" the brunette asked without really asking.

"Actually I think she's still upstairs with your friend Gloss," Johanna answered. The girl had a pair of brown eyes that looked like they held one too many secret that you really didn't want them to know and angular cheekbones that added to the deathly glare she was giving.

"Who Cashmere? Yeah cause it's always surprising when a cheerleader fucks a football player," she rolled her eyes in a way Johanna was all too familiar with because it was the exact same way that she did it.

"Not as interesting as when a football player fucks the mysterious new girl," Cato added in unnecessarily.

"Shut up Cato," Johanna answered, still trying to work out the girl who was standing in front of her. Something was unsettling in a way she had only felt once before in her life, the very second she thought it was about to end. "And why is it that you've decided to take an interest in me?"

"The same reason everyone else is. You raise a lot of questions that you don't seem to want to answer and it bugs me. You can't just show up in people's lives and expect them not to care what they're getting into," she answered sharply and Johanna got the feeling she'd been waiting to say this for a while.

"I know what I'd like to get into-"

"Shut up Cato!" both the girls shouted this time and Johanna looked at the other girl with clear confusion on her face.

"Johanna want some chip and dip?" Katniss shouted through to her and shot her a weird look when she realized who she was talking to.

"Yeah," Johanna mumbled before moving around the strange pair in front of her.

"It's Clove by the way. In case you ever decide to answer any of those questions," the girl shouted after her, and Johanna felt a severe chill run up her spine.

**Author's Note: HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE! Normally I don't know these things but hey I'm in Canada so it's pretty awesome today! So I thought I'd give you all this chapter to celebrate with :) I hope all is going well with you guys and just another note to say your reviews are amazing! Genuinely never fail to make me smile and laugh and your ideas are brilliant so please please please keep them coming! Until next time dudes :)**

**-R**


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